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Stepping into the forest of my mind

Just as every journey begins with a first step, every story begins with the first word.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Writing is not a Cookie-Cutter Science

Writing is not a cookie cutter deal

Take all
suggestions to your writing as just that—suggestions.It is, after all, your writing, not someone
else’s.This is why it is important to
have a trustworthy writing/reading partner, someone who’s writing style or
expertise you admire.

After taking writing courses at the
University of Pennsylvania, I have learned to think about each comment before I
start ripping my plot to pieces or thinking that the way I did things is wrong
and the comment is absolutely correct.Sometimes
I consider the comment for a week or two before changing the manuscript or
ignoring the comment altogether.

Don’t let
anyone tell you what you should be writing. Write what eats away at you, what needs to be
said. That's what memoir is. Your story.
No one else's. Writing is not a cookie cutter deal. Oh sure, there are tips and suggestions on how
to organize your writing or what to include in the scene or plot. Just look at how many books, blogs, and
magazines there are on the subject.But in
the end, you need to be true to yourself and to your story.It is what's in your heart
that needs to be said that counts.

I'm like
a stick stuck in the quagmire of life. I'm not likely to budge unless an editor
loosens me with a legitimate view or suggestion for my manuscript. Of course I'm not always sure that's the
correct attitude to take, buy hey, it's me. How do you handle any feedback you receive
from beta readers or critique partners?

Writers know
what they want to say. Occasionally they
need a fresh pair of eyes, someone they respect, to make sure what’s on the
page is what’s in the writer’s mind.Don't
ever let anyone slow you down or stop you from writing.

Two months left
in my Write Your Memoir in Six Months course.I have close to 45,600 words and three more chapters to go to have the
first draft complete.Then the revising
process begins. Wish me luck!Thanks for stopping by.

Always easier said than done. Thank you, Theresa, for your input to this post. A writer must always stop and think before changing the manuscript to be sure that the changes are for the better of the story.